Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Residents and motorists along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway have raised the alarm over the systematic theft of more than 168 solar-powered streetlights installed along the five-kilometre Longbridge section of the highway, a development that has plunged parts of the corridor around Warewa, Wawa, Arepo and Magboro into darkness and revived fears of armed robbery and kidnapping. The streetlights were installed in 2025 as part of efforts to improve visibility and address security concerns along the busy highway. However, many of the poles, LED fittings and solar panels have been systematically removed, leaving significant portions of the highway unlit.
The affected stretch has in the past been associated with reports of highway robbery and attacks on motorists, particularly those whose vehicles break down at night. Residents fear that the renewed darkness could provide cover for criminals and expose stranded motorists to attacks before help arrives. At highway speeds, the absence of lighting could also make stalled vehicles, road debris and other hazards more difficult for motorists to detect.
A resident and public interest analyst, Mr Nelson Ekujumi, condemned the vandalisation of the public infrastructure, describing it as a threat to public safety. “The vandalisation of public assets like the solar-powered streetlights on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway is highly condemnable,” Ekujumi said. “I was shocked that the whole place, which was formerly lit up, has been thrown back into darkness. Agents of darkness perpetrate their evil acts under the cover of night”. He urged the authorities to ensure that anyone arrested over the vandalism is prosecuted in accordance with the law.
A resident identified simply as Lucky said the removal of the lights had revived fears over security along the corridor. “Before the installations, there were constant cases of robbery, kidnapping, and attacks on motorists, especially those whose vehicles broke down. Now, all of that is returning,” he said. Another resident of Arepo, Hakeem Olawepo, said the situation had remained unchanged since the streetlights began disappearing. “Nothing has changed since the day they started removing them,” Olawepo lamented. “That is why you no longer see streetlights on the bridge. The darkness has completely taken over, leaving room for unscrupulous elements to carry out their nefarious activities”.
Publisher of Pentouch.com.ng, Ayodele Lawal, also expressed concern over the development. “The vandalisation of solar-powered lights is very disturbing and, if something urgent is not done, it can lead to insecurity of lives and property,” Lawal said. A motorist described the theft as evidently well-planned, warning that the return of darkness could raise the risk of both accidents and criminal attacks along the route. A resident put it more bluntly, noting that if criminals could already operate in the area, removing the lights only makes it easier for them to do so unnoticed.
The theft appears to have happened in stages rather than all at once. Some poles were found with only one of the two nuts typically used to secure them in place, suggesting vandals loosened the fittings on one visit before returning later to finish removing the pole entirely. Business owners in the area said the removals mostly happen at night, with many only discovering fresh losses each morning from people arriving via the Longbridge direction, since most shops in the area close by 7pm. A follow-up visit to the bridge on Monday, September 22, 2026, showed that some of the streetlights that remained during the previous count had also been removed, leaving only a handful of the installations standing along the route. Only about 20 streetlights were still standing roughly three kilometres into the bridge and a few others remained at both ends. Some sections had stretches of up to 300 metres stripped of the installations, and some locations showed signs that the poles had been forcibly removed.
Resident Aminat Adio told PUNCH Metro that the vandalism had continued despite concerns raised over the removal of the streetlights. “Nothing has changed since the first day they started to remove them. And that is why you no longer see many streetlights on the bridge,” she said. Adio said the identity of the vandals remained unknown to residents but urged the authorities to investigate the continued removal of the infrastructure. Another resident, Bolu Adeogun, said the vandals appeared to take advantage of the relative absence of pedestrians on the highway. “They have continued to steal the streetlights because it is a highway where pedestrians could hardly be found. You will notice that the ones at both ends were not tampered with. That is because they are close to where there is frequent movement of people,” he said.
The Ogun State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of at least four suspects allegedly linked to the theft and vandalisation of infrastructure along the corridor. The suspects were identified as Simon David, Yinusa Garba, Fawas Suleiman and Tunde Tobiloba. According to the information provided by the authorities, the suspects were arrested and charged over alleged offences ranging from nighttime asset stripping and metal theft to vandalism of highway infrastructure and possession of cut steel poles and other accessories.
The Federal Controller of Works in Ogun State, Richard Adeleye, has confirmed the theft. His successor in the role, Michael Komolafe, told PUNCH Metro during a previous report that some suspected vandals had been arrested before he assumed office. When contacted on Monday, Komolafe said he was unaware that more streetlights had been removed but expressed concern over the development. He said he had previously met with police officers at the location and that the Divisional Police Officer had assured him that officers regularly patrolled the bridge. According to him, however, the DPO later informed him that a police outpost on the bridge had been dismantled.
The incident adds to a broader pattern of infrastructure theft along Lagos highways. In October 2025, vandals were reported to have stripped streetlights, cables, iron rods and copper wiring from sections of the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, in a similar case that drew attention to how exposed public infrastructure remains once installed. The recurring theft of public infrastructure across Lagos and Ogun States has raised questions about the effectiveness of security arrangements for public assets, the regulation of the scrap metal trade, and the capacity of law enforcement to prevent vandalism before it occurs. For the residents of Warewa, Arepo, Magboro and surrounding communities, the return of darkness to Longbridge is not merely an inconvenience. It is a threat to their safety and a reminder that the infrastructure meant to protect them has become a target for those who profit from its destruction.
The Ogun State Police Command has not announced whether the four suspects arrested are connected to the Longbridge thefts specifically, nor has it disclosed the outcome of their prosecution. The Federal Ministry of Works has not issued a statement on plans to replace the stolen streetlights or to secure the remaining installations. For now, motorists and residents along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway are left to navigate a corridor that has been plunged back into darkness, wondering when the lights will return and whether anyone will be held accountable for their disappearance.
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